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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · wax · mark · cabinet · roll · file · fan · craft

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. file — a line of people
  4. craft — a skill
  5. content — happy
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. file — a document
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. file — a tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. craft — boats
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mark — a trace
  18. roll — a list
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — to grow
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com